What languages are spoken in Norway: Bokmål, Rixmol, Nynoshk. Learning Norwegian from scratch - how difficult it is
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brief information
Norway, due to the fact that there is a polar day from May to July, is sometimes called the "Land of the Midnight Sun". This, of course, is a mysterious and somewhat even romantic name, but it does not evoke strong desire come to this country. However, Norway is not only the Land of the Midnight Sun. First of all, Norway is the Vikings, the amazing beauty of the fjords, some of which are included in the list world heritage UNESCO, and, of course, prestigious ski resorts.
Geography of Norway
Norway is located in the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. In the northeast, Norway borders on Finland and Russia, in the east - on Sweden. In the northeast, Norway is washed by the Barents Sea, in the southwest by the North Sea, and in the west by the Norwegian Sea. The Skagerrak Strait separates Norway from Denmark.
The total territory of Norway, including the islands of Svalbard, Jan Mayen and Bear in the Arctic Ocean, is 385,186 square kilometers.
A significant part of the territory of Norway is occupied by mountains. The highest of them are Mount Gallhöppigen (2469 m) and Mount Glittertinn (2452 m).
There are a lot of rivers in Norway, the longest of which are Glomma (604 km), Logen (359 km), and Otra (245 km).
Norway is sometimes referred to as the "Lakeland". This is not surprising, given that there are several hundred lakes in it. The largest of these are Mjøsa, Rösvatn, Femunn, and Hornindalsvatnet.
Capital
The capital of Norway is Oslo, which is now home to more than 620 thousand people. It is believed that Oslo was founded in 1048 by the Norwegian king Harald III.
Official language of Norway
The official language in Norway is Norwegian, which consists of two dialects (Bokmål and Nynorsk). Most often, Norwegians speak Bukol, but for some reason Nynorsk is popular with Norwegian Internet users.
Religion
More than 80% of Norwegians are Lutherans (Protestants) belonging to the Church of Norway. However, only about 5% of Norwegians go to church every week. In addition, 1.69% of Norwegians are Muslims and 1.1% are Catholics.
State structure of Norway
Norway is a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state, according to the Constitution of 1814, is the King.
The executive power in Norway belongs to the King, and the legislative power belongs to the local unicameral parliament - the Storting (169 deputies).
The main political parties in Norway are the liberal-conservative Progress Party, the social democratic Norwegian Labor Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Social Left Party.
Climate and weather
Norway is at the same latitude as Alaska and Siberia, but this Scandinavian country has a much milder climate. In late June - early August in Norway, the weather is warm and the days are long. At that time average temperature air reaches + 25-30C, and the average sea temperature - + 18C.
The warmest and most stable weather is always observed on the southern coast of Norway. However, even in the north of Norway in summer the air temperature can exceed +25C. However, in central regions and in the north of Norway the weather changes frequently.
In winter, most of Norway tends to turn into a real snow paradise. In winter in Norway, the air temperature can even drop to -40C.
Sea in Norway
In the northeast, Norway is washed by the Barents Sea, in the southwest by the North Sea, and in the west by the Norwegian Sea. The Skagerrak Strait separates Norway from Denmark. The total coastline of Norway is 25,148 km.
Average sea temperature in Oslo:
January – +4C
- February - +3С
- March - +3C
- April - +6C
- May - +11C
- June - +14C
- July - +17C
- August - +18С
- September - +15C
- October - +12C
- November - +9С
- December - +5С
The real beauty of Norway is the Norwegian fjords. The most beautiful of them are Naeroyfjord, Sognefjord, Geirangerfjord, Hardangerfjord, Lysefjord, and Aurlandsfjord.
Rivers and lakes
There are a lot of rivers in Norway, the longest of which are Glomma in the east (604 km), Logen in the southeast (359 km), and Otra in Serland (245 km). The largest Norwegian lakes are Mjøsa, Rösvatn, Femunn, and Hornindalsvatnet.
Many tourists come to Norway to fish. In Norwegian rivers and lakes, salmon, trout, whitefish, pike, perch and grayling are found in large numbers.
History of Norway
Archaeologists have proven that people on the territory of modern Norway lived as early as the 10th millennium BC. But real story Norway began in the Viking Age, whose cruelty is still legendary on the coast of Great Britain, for example.
From 800-1066, the Norse Vikings became known throughout Europe as brave warriors, ruthless invaders, cunning merchants and inquisitive seafarers. The history of the Vikings ended in 1066, when the Norwegian king Harald III died in England. Olaf III became King of Norway after him. It was under Olaf III that Christianity began to spread rapidly in Norway.
In the XII century, Norway captured part of the British Isles, Iceland and Greenland. It was the time of the greatest prosperity of the Norwegian kingdom. However, the country was greatly weakened by competition from Hanseatic League and a plague epidemic.
In 1380, Norway and Denmark entered into an alliance and became one country. The union of these states lasted more than four centuries.
In 1814, Norway, according to the Treaty of Kiel, became part of Sweden. However, Norway did not submit to this and the Swedes invaded its territory. In the end, Norway agreed to be part of Sweden if they were left with the constitution.
Throughout the 19th century, nationalism grew in Norway, and this led to a referendum in 1905. According to the results of this referendum, Norway became an independent state.
During the First World War, Norway remained neutral. Second world war Norway also declared its neutrality, but it was nevertheless occupied by German troops (for Germany this was a strategic move).
After the end of World War II, Norway suddenly forgot about its neutrality, and became one of the founders of the NATO military bloc.
Culture of Norway
The culture of Norway differs markedly from the cultures of other peoples of Europe. The fact is that this Scandinavian country is located far from such European cultural centers like Florence, Rome and Paris. However, tourists will be pleasantly impressed by the Norwegian culture.
Many Norwegian cities have annual music, dance and folklore festivals. The most popular of them is the international cultural festival in Bergen (music, dance, theater).
It cannot be said that the Norwegians have made a huge contribution to world culture but the fact that he was significant is undeniable. The most famous Norwegians are polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, composers Varg Vikernes and Edvard Grieg, artist Edvard Munch, writers and playwrights Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun, and traveler Thor Heyerdahl.
Cuisine of Norway
The main products of Norwegian cuisine are fish, meat, potatoes and other vegetables, and cheese. Norwegians' favorite traditional snack is pölse (potato cake with sausage).
Fenalår - dried lamb
- Fårikål - lamb stew with cabbage
- Pinnekjøtt - salted ribs
- Roast wild elk or deer
- Kjøttkaker - fried beef meatballs
- Laks og eggerøre - smoked salmon omelet
- Lutefisk - baked cod
- Rømmegrøt - sour cream porridge
- Multekrem - cloudberry cream for dessert
Traditional alcoholic drink in Norway - Aquavit, the strength of which is usually 40%. The production of aquavita in Scandinavia began in the 15th century.
Sights of Norway
Norwegians have always been distinguished by the fact that they are very careful about their history. Therefore, we advise tourists to visit Norway to see:
North Cape
norwegian fjords
The Changing of the Guard Ceremony Royal Palace in Oslo
Bryggen wooden quarter in Bergen
Sculpture park in Oslo
Holmenkolle Ski Jump
Snow hotel in Kirkenes
Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim
Viking ships in maritime museum in Oslo
National Historical Museum in Oslo
Cities and resorts
The largest Norwegian cities are Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger.
Norway is famous for its magnificent ski resorts. Every winter in Norway there are different championships in skiing. The top ten Norwegian ski resorts include, in our opinion, the following:
1. Trysil (Trisil)
2. Hemsedal (Hemsedal)
3. Hafjell (Hafjell)
4. Geilo (Geilo)
5. Tryvann
6. Norefjell
7. Oppdal (Oppdal)
8. Hovden (Hovden)
9. Kvitfjell (Kvitfjell)
10. Kongsberg (Consberg)
Souvenirs/Shopping
We advise tourists from Norway to bring a real Norwegian wool sweater, toy trolls, modern dishes, wooden kitchen utensils, silverware, ceramics, jerky, brown goat cheese, and Norwegian vodka - aquavit.
Office Hours
Stores open:
Mon-Wed and Fri: 09:00-17.00/18:00
Thu: 09:00-20.00
Sat: 10:00-18.00
Supermarkets are usually open on Mon-Fri from 09:00 to 20.00, and on Sat from 10:00-18.00.
Banks:
Mon-Fri - 08:00-15.30
Most hotels, restaurants and large shops accept major international credit cards.
The country of fjords, located in the north and west of the Scandinavian Peninsula, has the only official language. But in Norway, it has two official forms and the inhabitants of the state use "bokmål" as book speech and "nunoshk" as the new Norwegian. Both language forms are present in absolutely all aspects of life and Norwegians can get an education, watch TV programs, listen to the radio or apply to official organizations in both Bokmål and Nyunushka.
Some statistics and facts
- To finally confuse the rest of the world, the Norwegians came up with a couple more forms of their state language. In Norway, "riksmol" and "högnosk" are also in use, which, although not officially accepted, are popular,
- As an everyday language, 90% of the country's inhabitants use Bokmål and Rixmol, and less than 10% use Nynoshkom.
- All Norwegian dialects originate from the Old Norse language, which went through the territories of modern Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
- During the Middle Ages, Danish became the main language of the Norwegian elite. It remained the written language of Norwegians until the first half of XIX century.
- The modern Norwegian alphabet contains the same 29 letters as the Danish alphabet.
The number of dialects spoken in the Norwegian province is more than a dozen. Differences in grammar and syntax allow you to speak your own dialects in almost every Norwegian village.
Note to the tourist
If you are in Norway on a business trip or on vacation, be prepared for the fact that English is understood only in large settlements and mostly the younger generation. Norwegians are very conservative and don't rush to learn foreign languages, despite the global processes of globalization and entry into the Schengen area.
In large hotels and near state attractions, information in English can usually be found, but the passage of others tourist routes can cause some "translation difficulties".
The Scandinavian countries are located in the north of Europe and territorially include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. All states are characterized by the presence common history and cultures and periodically united in various unions and unions.
Anyone who is going on a trip to these “Viking lands” is interested in the question in which language it is preferable for him to communicate with the locals, which dialect is most commonly used, and, if you choose between the two most common northern European linguistic groups - Swedish or Norwegian, what will he study lighter and easier.
What you might need Swedish or Norwegian for
As a rule, those who seriously think about learning Swedish or Norwegian have specific goals, such as:
There can be even more reasons for learning languages, so for each person there is sure to be a method suitable for him. It is quite possible to achieve your goal and speak Swedish or Norwegian fluently, the main thing is to know the features of both languages and choose the right direction for mastering them.
Features of the Swedish language
Almost everyone who comes across spoken or written Swedish for the first time pays attention to a number of features characteristic of its grammar and word formation:
Features of the Norwegian language
The basis of the Norwegian language is "riksmol" - reformatted Danish, which was common here during the rule of Denmark. The modern Norwegian language is divided into classical literary (in the country it is called "bokmål") and "Nynorsk" (which in literal translation sounds like "new Norwegian"). In both versions, the Latin alphabet is used, and three more letters are added to the letters of the English language - å, æ and ø. In total, just over 5 million people who live directly in the country and about 60 thousand of those who have left it speak Norwegian. Norwegian is considered medium in difficulty, but those who know English will learn the language of the "land of the fjords" faster.
You need to start learning Norwegian with Bokmål, then gradually add grammar rules and conversational features of Nynorsk. Linguists warn that even after studying a textbook of classical Norwegian, you may not understand a person speaking a different dialect, so they take the dialect of the capital region and Oslo as the basis. The main features of the Norwegian language are the following:
- Specific pronunciation of vowels, consonants and diphthongs. Despite the fact that in most cases the words sound the same as they are written, some nuances still exist and you can get to know them while listening to live speech. At the same time, each area can have its own original "chips" in writing, sounding or translation.
- There are not as many verb tenses as in English, but all words denoting action do not change in persons and declensions.
- The noun has only three forms, there are no cases, and plural, unlike Swedish, is formed according to one algorithm.
- There are only three genders in words denoting objects - male, female and middle, while the words female very few and they can always be replaced by men's.
The paradox of the Norwegian language is that, for all its ease, it will be quite difficult to learn it on your own. Availability a large number subtleties in the use of lexical units, phrases can frighten a beginner if he does not study the language with an experienced teacher. It is impossible to trust unverified textbooks, online lessons or dubious sites that guarantee fluency in a language already a month in advance. In Norway, the most progressive courses offer a basic knowledge of the main dialects for at least six months. You need to start learning the language material from theory, then connect practice, conversation, dialogues, then smoothly move on to writing, reading and retelling.
Options for learning Swedish or Norwegian
Some of the most common options for learning Scandinavian languages are the following:
- Use of textbooks and phrasebooks. This method has the right to exist, despite a number of shortcomings. For example, difficulties in acquiring such literature, the inability to put pronunciation and ask for advice from knowing person, which will also be able to point out errors.
- Video and audio lessons. Modern Internet resources offer great amount materials of any nature, depending on the level of training of the person, however, you will conduct the training on your own, without recommendations, advice or corrections, which will be a barrier to normal knowledge of Norwegian or Swedish.
- language group. Not a bad option, but inaccessible: firstly, there are few people who want to learn such rare languages, and, secondly, the cost of education will be much higher than for French, German or Spanish.
- Tutor. One of the most productive ways to learn a language, however, such a teacher may simply not be found in your area, and the hourly pay will be very high.
What is the best way to learn Swedish or Norwegian
More than 9 million people speak Swedish, almost 2 times less in Norwegian. Swedish dialects are more difficult than Norwegian ones, and lexical turns are equally difficult to build in both languages, so you can determine which language is better to learn Swedish or Norwegian based on general information about the features of one or the other, and depending on the need. In any case, the only right way out is to turn to special online schools that combine all the ways of learning languages, including the Scandinavian group. The undeniable advantages of such training are:
What is taught in an online language school
The services of such portals are used by both beginners and those who already have some knowledge of Norwegian or Swedish. Even if you have never had an idea about any language before, you will have the opportunity to learn it from the basics, which means mastering:
- alphabet;
- pronunciation and its specifics;
- grammar rules, knowledge in the field of writing words and sentences;
- colloquial speech;
- information about the culture, characteristics, traditions and customs of the peoples of Norway or Sweden.
For these purposes, the following options are available to you:
- Skype mini-course (lasts 3-4 weeks);
- basic course (from 20 weeks);
- communication with a native speaker (10 lessons minimum);
- individual lessons (the program is formed specifically for each person);
- language marathon (competition with those who are learning the language at the same time as you).
For greater mobility and convenience, students can use any electronic device based on IOS or Android, and the vast majority of training is free. After a few months, you will be able to correctly express yourself, build sentences, perceive the language by ear, correctly pronounce the most Difficult words, read and translate simple texts. For whatever purpose you need Norwegian or Swedish, and whichever one you choose, a convenient, affordable and effective online language school will help you achieve excellence.
Are you planning to travel to Norway this year to see the famous fjords and admire the sights of this amazing country? Then we advise you to learn Norwegian for at least basic level. Yet in this country, not everyone knows English language. Besides local residents It will be nice to know that you know their native language. Thanks to this knowledge, you will be able to save a lot of money on a guide and guide, as you will be able to find your way to the right place on your own and, if necessary, ask for help from others.
Language marathon is the best way to learn Norwegian
But what if you are leaving for Norway in a couple of months? Standard courses in this case are unlikely to help you get even basic knowledge. In this case, we advise you to learn Norwegian online with the help of a special language marathon offered at marathon.speakasap.com. It is issued for 29 days and 8 additional days if any unforeseen situations arise. During this period of time, you will be able to learn Norwegian at such a level that you can easily communicate with Norwegians with simple phrases. This will be enough to buy things in stores or walk around the city.
The marathon includes several stages, each of which lasts 6-7 days. At the end of each day, you will need to publish reports - this is necessary for a regular and systematic lesson. It is thanks to the system that you can effectively allocate your time. You will be allowed to independently set the time to complete new exercises and write reports on them. Next tasks will be issued only after passing the previous ones.
There is nothing to worry about if you are late with the publication of the report until the 3rd stage. However, then certain sanctions await you: it will be possible to pass the “Penalty Lap” or “Write off the day”. In the first case, you will not lose the prize at the finish, and in the second case, you can lose it. The last option is for busy people who do not always manage to submit a report on time. However, you should not exceed the given rhythm, otherwise you will simply exit the flow and the marathon will be over for you. We'll have to start all over from scratch.
Common phrases |
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tyusen so |
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Sorry | ||
Hello | ||
Goodbye | Ha de bra |
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I don't understand | jeg farstor ikke | yai fostor ikke |
What is your name? | wa hater du? |
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How are you? | hvordan gar det? | vurdan gore de |
What is the price? | va bonfire |
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What time is it now? | wa ar klokka |
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No smoking | royking forbudt | raking fobudt |
Do you speak English? | du sier pa engelsk? | do sier pu ingelsk? |
Where is? | ||
room, number | ||
Store (shopping) |
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Transport |
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trolleybus | trolley bus |
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Stop | ||
Departure | ||
Airport | ||
emergency cases |
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Ambulance | ambulance |
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Help | ||
Language in Norway
What is the language in Norway?
Traditional Scandinavian dialects developed in the country under the influence of neighboring Denmark. Today official language in Norway it's Nynorsk. It is considered literary and is used in the works of writers and journalism. At the level of official papers, the state language of Norway, riksmol, is used. Its development was associated with the country's dependence on Denmark and the dominance of the Danish. The spoken language of Norway is Nynorsk. It was formed in the 19th century. Today, this language of Norway is used in the Vestlanne area. In addition, it is spoken in rural areas.
Until the second half of the last century, the government of the country tried to combine Nynorsk and Bokmål in order to create a common language for Norway. But then this practice was abandoned.
The Norwegian alphabet follows the Danish alphabet and consists of 29 Latin letters.
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